Dragon Moon
by SwiftWhiteWolf
Summary: Set in the world of Skyrim during the dragons return, amidst the unfolding civil war. The Dovahkiin was born a werewolf and raised as an orphan in Markarth. What will happen when she finds out exactly what she is and meets the Companions? These are her adventures. Rated M for potential lemons in later chapters and some mild strong language.


**Dragon Moon**

Chapter One: The Sky Is Falling!

_Here it is. So this is the proud city of Whiterun, _she thought, standing outside the city`s gate for the first time. Remus Wildheart approached the heavy wooden doors that led in to Whiterun, only to be halted by a guard with his sword drawn.

"Halt, stranger. The city's closed with the dragons about. Official business only." The guard eyed Remus suspiciously, but sheathed his blade and stepped back at her reply.

"Riverwood calls for the Jarl`s aid, I need to speak with him urgently. There was a dragon sighted flying overhead of the village, and it was last spotted heading this way." The beautiful twenty one year old told him confidently. With her battle-worn Nordic steel armor and the fine hunting bow astride her back, as well as her excellent posture, it was obvious that this woman was no ordinary passerby. The thin white scar marking one side of her face from just under her right eye to her jaw and the slender muscles in her arms suggested she had seen her fair share of combat. The guard figured she was likely some sort of mercenary or scout, hired by Gerdur, who ran the mill at Riverwood. He nodded his assent and told her;

"Report directly to Dragonsreach then, the Jarl will want to speak to you immediately."

Remus nodded her thanks and stepped through the heavily fortified gate in to Whiterun`s Plains District. The lowest of the three districts of this city, the Plains District housed most of Whiterun`s shops and traders. Upon entering the city, Remus was almost immediately swept up in to the bustling crowds of people looking to trade and trying to make their ways back and forth. Her copper and gold eyes took in everyone around her; most were dressed modestly in clothes of many colors, but a few dotted the crowd here and there wearing armor like herself, or fine jewelry that marked them as the upper class. The ring of an anvil off to Remus`s right caught her attention; she wanted to head to the blacksmith`s later to have her armor repaired and her blades sharpened. Before that though, Remus needed to find the Jarl and deliver her tidings of warning. She noted the blacksmith`s location in her mind before hurrying on past it, weaving through the throng of people towards what looked like a tavern. The Bannered Mare stood solitary and sturdy, dominating one side of the marketplace proper. Remus was assaulted by the wonderful scent of freshly baked bread and smoked meat emanating from the tavern, and her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn`t had time to eat breakfast this morning. With a soft sigh of longing she passed the inn as well, thinking maybe she would head there first instead after she spoke to the nobles residing in Dragonsreach. Something bumped her hard at about waist height and the warrior automatically reached out to catch the wisp of a child who had just collided with her leather clad thigh.

The little girl`s fall was abruptly arrested as a set of lean, strong arms grabbed her shoulders and waist. She gasped in shock and partial fear before the woman she`d run in to set her gently back on her feet and released her. Mila Valentia looked up at the woman who had caught her with and mixture of admiration and surprise. She appeared to be a little younger than Mila`s mother, with long, dark hair streaked with lighter shades of red and gold. Her eyes were a strange, burning coppery color, and despite the long scar under one eye, Mila thought Remus was one of the prettiest women she`d ever seen.

"Wow, you`re really pretty!" Mila blurted out, then colored with embarrassment. She offered, "Sorry I ran in to you, I really didn`t mean to! Battle-Born was chasing me again."

"Well thank you, little one. No harm done, so long as you weren`t after my coin pouch." Remus told the child with a small smile that did not show her teeth. She saw that the girl had been telling the truth as a pale faced boy with reddish brown hair ran around a stall and made a beeline for them. Mila grinned when she saw the boy coming and told Remus;

"See you later! I gotta go before he catches me!" With that the raven haired child took off at a run, giggling as the boy struggled to catch up with her and they disappeared in to the crowd. Remus checked her coin purse just to be sure, but nothing appeared to be missing from it. She shook her head in amusement and climbed the stairs leading to the Wind District. At the top of the stairs, a large, somewhat withered looking tree dominated the central space between the temple of Kynareth, another set of stairs leading to Dragonsreach, and what looked like an overturned Viking ship. It was the last structure that made Remus`s heart pick up its pace and her breath catch for a moment. _That`s the hall of Jorrvaskr, where the strongest and most honored warriors in Skyrim are said to reside,_ Remus thought with admiration. When she had a chance, Jorrvaskr was on her list of must-see places, and her grin widened at the possibility of getting to meet some of the legendary Companions of Ysgramor. Perhaps one day she would get the opportunity to join their ranks? The Wildheart woman certainly hoped that were true, it would be the privilege of a lifetime. Ever mindful of the task at hand, however, she passed the famous mead hall by and made for the stairs leading to the Jarl`s keep. To her right, standing in front of an enormous statue of Talos there stood a priest in oddly colored robes. He was yelling at the top of his lungs about the glory of his god and the treachery of the elves. He beseeched Remus to join him, but she shook her head and curtly replied;

"My beliefs are my own, not to be so easily swayed by the tales of strangers." Her disdain was evident: Remus didn`t like people who tried to force their beliefs on others. She felt that everyone was entitled to their own choice, but that they should still be respectful of the choices of others even if they did not share the same view or disagreed with them. Remus was a warrior at heart; she enjoyed battle and was bound by honor to her word. However, she did not like the idea of fighting for something she considered a pointless cause. Ten thousand people could hold one ideal dear in their hearts, and inevitably there would still be one person who did not share it. Such was the natural way of things, and so she felt it should stay. Men like that Talos priest she had just passed simply got on her nerves. Instead of merely pointing out the merits of his beliefs, he had to degrade the attributes of others to feel satisfied. Remus pondered what a sad life he must live as she ascended the last stair to Dragonsreach. The guards did not bar her way as she strode up to the heavy carved wooden doors and pushed them open. She shoved all other thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrated on the main reason for her coming.

Remus paused at a respectful distance from Jarl Balgruuf the Greater, seeing he was in conversation with his steward and realizing that without having made a proper appointment she was likely intruding on something important. Feeling a little foolish, the Nord woman straightened her spine and squared her shoulders as a dark elven woman with bright red hair approached her with a menacing step and a short sword in her hand. The Dunmer was lithe and moved with a cat`s grace that spoke of deadly experience in combat. She wore the colors of Whiterun`s noble class and the hold`s insignia was emblazoned on the amulet she wore around her neck. Remus thought she would have been beautiful without her lips curled up in that threatening sneer and her teeth bared. The Nord guessed that this was probably the Jarl`s Housecarl or guard captain before the other woman had even spoken;

"What is the meaning of this intrusion? The Jarl is not receiving visitors right now." Her sword was poised unwaveringly ready to strike. Remus made no move to draw her own weapons, and held her hands palm up to show she was unarmed as she replied.

"I have news considering the dragon at Helgen. Riverwood is vulnerable and asks for the Jarl`s aid and protection." She explained, and a look of surprise colored Irileth`s sharp features.

"You know about Helgen? The Jarl will want to speak to you personally. You may approach." Irileth sheathed her sword and led the way towards the raised platform and elaborately decorated throne upon which Jarl Balgruuf was seated. The middle aged blond man of Nordic origins spoke without preamble.

"So, you were at Helgen when the dragon attacked. I hear that not many survived. Who are you and what news do you bring?"

_That was pretty blunt for a noble. I like this guy, he seems like one to get things done,_ Remus thought. What she said was "My name is Remus Wildheart. I was present when the dragon attacked. The Imperials were about to execute Ulfric Stormcloak when it landed in the middle of the town. He escaped, along with a few others."

Balgruuf eyed the slim warrior woman with an expression both of appreciation and surprise. She must have been one hell of a fighter to survive a dragon attack. Before today, he had thought the creatures were only a part of myth, legends created to scare naughty children. "Ulfric. I should have guessed he would have been mixed up in all this. What were you doing at Helgen? Did you actually see this creature for yourself?" He demanded, not unkindly. Remus barked a short, humorless laugh.

"I had a great view while the Imperials were trying to cut off my head. The guards were unable to slay the dragon and last I saw it was headed this way." She watched the reactions on the faces of the people around her. Irileth appeared concerned, a burly man dressed in furs resembling the Jarl looked amazed, Balgruuf seemed impressed but also angry, and the middle aged balding man standing next to the Jarl was deeply worried.

"You certainly are straightforward about your criminal past. What do you say now, Proventus? Should we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? I`ll not sit idly by and watch as a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people! Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once!" Balgruuf pinched the bridge of his nose, obviously frustrated.

"It will be done at once, my lord." Irileth replied before hurrying off to give out orders. The one known as Proventus Avenicci flinched and seemed to shrink in on himself momentarily. Remus addressed the Jarl once more.

"Sir, I was only trying to get back home. I was taken for crossing the border ahead of the Stormcloaks. The Legion seemed to think I was trying to smuggle supplies to them, and took me when they ambushed Ulfric and his men." She shifted her weight to the other foot as Balgruuf suddenly stood from his seat.

"No matter. So long as you respect the rules of my hold, I have no beef with you. You have brought me valuable information, and I think you might be of further use to me yet. Let us speak with my court wizard, Farengar about these 'dragons' and rumors concerning dragons. Farengar!"

Remus followed the Jarl to an adjoining room off to the right of the main hall and found a tall man with mutton chops wearing a deep purple, hooded set of mage`s robes waiting for them. She barely managed to stifle her snicker at his appearance before the Jarl spoke once more.

"I`ve brought you someone who I think can help with your investigations concerning the recent dragon activities." With that, he left the room and Remus could hear him climbing a set of stairs just around the corner. Farengar turned his attention to the Nord woman and sized her up. He dismissed her as another one of the mercenary brutes Balgruuf often sent his way.

"So the Jarl thinks you can be of use to me? Hmm. Perhaps, though I doubt it. There is one thing…I need someone to retrieve a certain stone tablet for me…"

Remus let him ramble on, but ignored the rest of his words, as well as his better-than-thou general attitude and tone. "Did you mean this dusty old thing by chance?" She asked him with one eyebrow raised and sarcasm heavy in her tone. She produced a thick stone tablet from her knapsack, etched with strange runes and pictograms she could not decipher. Farengar nearly wet himself as she handed it over.

"Yes! This is exactly it! The Dragonstone of bleak Falls Barrow! You are a cut above the brutes the Jarl usually sends my way after all." Jubilantly, Farengar fawned over the stone and asked if Remus had acquired any other interesting artifacts during her travels. She removed a bundle of scrolls illustrated with magical symbols and a strangely glowing ring from a pouch on her hip and showed them to the wizard for inspection. He gladly offered her a large sum of gold pieces for the items and she agreed, before being directed to the Jarl for her reward in retrieving the stone. She ran in to Proventus as well, and he asked her if she would do him the favor of looking in on his daughter Adrienne if she got the chance. Remus obliged after learning that Adrienne was the blacksmith she had hoped to visit that afternoon anyways and told him she would return in the morning, as the sun could be seen setting through the narrow windows currently. She departed happily from Dragonsreach, feeling pleased with herself and looking forward to a hot meal and a warm bed at the tavern.

**A/N: Please rate, review, subscribe, or all of the above! This is my first video game based fanfic, _constructive_ criticism is much appreciated. The more you review, the more chapters I will add! :)**


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